Martin. — I'he Protection of ^atuve Birds. 115 



in guud condition ; the highest sum heing offered for the largest 

 species of birds. The same should also he offered for the discovery 

 of new species, in order to save them from extinction. I 

 suggest this iu the belief that, if acted on without delay, it will 

 ensure the preservation of various birds that otherwise will be 

 lost ; and particularly that, besides being in the end the cheapest 

 as well as the most effectual way to procure the rarer species, 

 (being made known to all throughout those parts where such 

 birds do or may exist,) it is the only way to save the Takahe and 

 other large birds, which would in every way be well worth 

 all it might cost to preserve them. As there must be some 

 delay in establishing reserves, it would perhaps be well for 

 immediate measures to be taken to procure rare " wingless " 

 birds, (lest when the reserves are ready it may be too late 

 to procure them,) keeping them in confinement, under as natural 

 conditions as possible. By the time the birds have been 

 obtained the reserves should be ready for them. Very rare 

 birds, such as the Takahe. should, however, be kept under 

 special supervision (in islands), at least until they become 

 abundant. 



In regard to the nature of bird reserves, there can be no 

 doubt but that islands isolated by the sea are most suitable for 

 that purpose, as will appear from a consideration of the follow- 

 ing points : The objects to be gained being the preservation and 

 increase of curious and useful birds, to obtain this result it is 

 obvious that they should be as much as is possible protected 

 against the ravages of beasts of prey. 



The beasts to which the destruction of the indigenous birds 

 is chiefly due, are the rat, cat, dog, and pig, to which must now 

 be added the ferret, stoat, weasel, and mongoose ; and were 

 it not for their ravages, it is not improbable that many birds 

 now rare would be comparatively abundant, and that very few 

 would be in imminent danger of extinction. As it is, any scheme 

 for the preservation of native birds must provide against their 

 intrusion into the bird reserves. 



Granting that it is possible to effectually fence out dogs and 

 pigs, there yet remain other beasts that are even more 

 destructive, and which it is practically impossible to keep out 

 by any artificial barriers. The rat, it is true, is everywhere, 

 but, as I have elsewhere observed, it would be kept under in 

 island reserves by the owls and wekas, there being only the 

 natural increase to contend against, the water being an effectual 

 barrier against the ingress of more, save by the agency of man ; 

 whereas on the mainland there can be no such protection. 

 Similarly, the water would bar the ingress of cats, weasels, and 

 ichneumons, which could not be done otherwise, except at the 

 expenditure of very much time and money. Islands, on the 

 other hand, have in their favour both economy and efficiency ; 



